The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-04-22


and her voice arose to a positive shrek
and then sunk again to a low wall.
They could not understand one word
she said. and her wild gestures were
all without meaning for them. Dis
tress, however, does not need an inter
prefer, and young as the boys were,
they could plainly see that some great,
uncommon sorrow was driving this
woman mad. She covered her face
with her hands, moaning piteously,
or threw her arms high in the air; then
seeing the fright and pity on their boy
ish faces, she seized Franks hand, and
holding it tightly, began to pour out
long story The utter darkness of his
face made her dash him aside, and
thus, catching sight of their boat drawn
up on the beach, she ran swiftly to it,
followed more slowly by the boys.
She tried with all her might to drag
or push the boat down to the water,
but, strong as she was. she could move
the Star only few inches, and after
several moments of greatest effort, she
turned once more to the boys, to go
through a pantomime which clearly
said that she begged them to help her
get the boat off and out to sea.
Well" said Frank. rs the idea
| dawned upon him, Ibid you ever hear
of such a thing! She actually wants
us to go outside in weather like this,
and every minute growing worse! No,
1 thank your
''Why does she want us to go, won
der?"
THAT we shall never know; and it
does not make much matter, since we
would not go on any account"
Il believe have it. She has lost her
boatl''
GLOW could that trouble her so
much? A boats a boat, but she goes
on as if her boat were matter of lie
and death. "
1T often is TO these fisherfolk. They
can't fish without a boat, and they
can't live without fishing. III try to
ask her."
He laid his hand on the woman's
shoulder. and pointing to the boat, he
said-with some idea that she could
understand French better than Eng
lish: 'BateauP'' And then out to the
horizon: "BateauP"
The woman nodded; she understood
him, and her hope revived in frenzy
of excitement. She pulled away at
the Star, laughing and moulding, and
saying: "Bateau! bateau!" with every
other breath.
Bob was keenly sorry fer her, and
his first impulse was to go with her,
but yet he was not ready to run such a
tremendous risk, and then, too, his
promise to his father came to his mind
with such force as to be almost warn
ing. At the same time, he wondered
what his father would say were he
there? Would he not wish him to help
a woman in such deep distress, even at
serious risk to himself? As he stood
rejecting upon this, he was gazing out
over the water. Suddenly he made a
discovery.
Il see it, Frank! 1 see it, There!
therer' and he too pointed eagerly to
the spot where the woman had so often
pointed.
Frank looked, and just then wave
in the far distance rose higher than its
fellows, and he plainly saw a tiny
speck, in shape like boat, rise on its
crest, and sink into the trough behind
it.
Having once found it. the two boys,
now much excited, saw it rise and fall,
T while the woman laughed and cried
with delight, tugged at their boat, ran
to them with imploring gestures, trying
, by every means in herpower to express
, her wish to 60 after her own boat.
mo, no, said Rob, ''it's too danger
p Gus" She turned to Frank; he, too,
shook his head. eve could never get
over the bar
The woman understood their faces il
not their words, and, all unconscious
, of the struggle going on in Rob.
! heart, once more abandoned herself tC
despair. Going some little distance
! from them, she flung herself face-dowr
! upon the sand, fairly writing in hel
i. sorrow.
! 1t was too much for Rob, for he was
tender-hearted.
Come, Frank, let's go for thai
boat"
p Frank turned pale. Rob, you arc
) crazyl Why should we? Doyou wan
Z US to drown?"
7 Il don't want to drown, and thinl
: we stand good chance of getting over
a the bar, and this poor SOUL
a Eyes, see her, but we can't helI
her Besides, what did YOU promise
Z father?''
Il know. l know. But father Away,
s wants us to use our judgment. III,
o would not want us to refuse any one
4 good service, even if there is danger il
4 doing it. There is something mysteri
g Gus in this woman's distress. 1 car
/ not refuse her.
b go Rob, don't be foolish! 1 won
= go one step with you, that's flat. Yol
- never can get over the bar, and hop
II you won't be fool enough to try"
Il am going. Give us a hand witt
o. the boat. a"
\ Rousing the woman, he showed he
> that they wanted her help, too. Sh
o went eagerly to work. Frank coul,
l. not refuse his unwilling aid, and s.
Il with the efforts of all three the boa
?. moved over the sands, touched water
n fioated free.
: The woman jumped in Immediately
Y took her seat in the stern and sat i'm
/, movable, regardless of Rob's efforts t
r dissuade her. Seeing that it was of n
@ use he finally yielded, and pale but dc
termined, he, too, stepped in, after
g last goodbye to Frank, and shove
j off,
n He had always fattered himself tina
# he knew how to row, but in two min
a utes this Breton woman showed hiI
that there were secrets of the art G
n which he knew nothing.